Something Special
by CaptainAshley91
Summary: Original character thrust into the Avengers, 21 year old Alex Hardaway doesn't realize his true potential until he meets the Black Widow.
1. Chapter 1

I ran into a shady bathroom in a shady gas station and locked the door shut. I examined my bloody face in the cracked mirror, taking note of the huge cut I had on my cheek and the blood running down my scruffy face and neck and disappearing down my white shirt. I snorted as I turned on the faucet and washed my bloody face with cold water. I took a deep breath as I dried off my face with some paper towel and slowly left the bathroom.

The clerk behind the counter stared me down as I walked out of the dirty gas station, giving him an eye that made him look away. I didn't like when people looked at me like I was some kind of criminal. He didn't know me. What the hell was that face for?

I walked down the sidewalk, coughing a bit as I pulled a hood over my head. I ditched the assholes that jumped me. Five guys against me. They didn't know who they were fucking with. I don't take shit from anyone.

The streets of Brooklyn were cold and dingy. It had rained earlier and that meant the stench of the city was going to get worse. I hated this place. I wanted to get the hell out, but I had nowhere to go and no money to go anywhere with. I was a poor kid from the dumps of this shitty city. My dad was nonexistent and my mom worked two jobs just to keep the apartment in which we lived. I worked some times, but I always ended up getting fired thanks to my quick fire temper. I couldn't help it. I was not one to kiss some big boss's ass. And it didn't help that I didn't attend college. All I had was a measly high school diploma. And if we had lived in a city where sports mattered, I might have done something with myself. Box or play football, like a good All-American boy. But nope, not here in Brooklyn. This city was shit, and it'll always be shit.

I crossed the street and entered an apartment building, flying up two flights of stairs and taking a left and ending up at the door of apartment 3B. I shuffled for the keys in my jean pocket and stabbed it into the keyhole. I slowly opened the door, just in case my ma was asleep. I creped in and dropped my keys on the kitchen table. I turned on the kitchen light, noticing a note left on the fridge. I grabbed it and read:

_**Honey, I left dinner in the microwave. Sorry I didn't stay up to see you. I have an early shift tomorrow. Goodnight, son.**_

_** Love, Mom**_

I smiled as I folded it and put it into my back pocket. I went over to the microwave and opened it up, the aroma of homemade mashed potatoes and baked chicken filled my nostrils as I closed the microwave and heated up the food.

I loved my mom. She was a good mom, always taking care of me and trying to mold me to be a gentleman and all. It wasn't her fault I was a rude, manner less asshole. She tried her best. And at the end of the day, I respect her wholeheartedly and love her with every inch of me. She's the only person I love, really. Maybe because I don't talk to anyone else. Everyone else just pisses me off.

I ate quickly and washed the dishes, soaking the front of my shirt, as usual. I pulled it off as I walked into my room, throwing it aside on the floor. I took off my jeans and put them on the edge of my un-made bed. I opened up the second drawer of my dresser, rummaged through the t shirts and the playboys until my hands felt the bottom of the drawer. I kept feeling around for a small box that I have been wanting to get my hands on all day. I moved the clothes and at the corner was a small, red and white box of Marlboro Reds. _Jackpot_, I thought as I grabbed the box and opened it up. I took out a cigarette and grabbed the lighter and lit it up.

I inhaled slowly as I walked towards my bedroom window, looking down on the dirty streets. The smoke filled my nostrils, reminding me that I had promised Ma that I'd quit these deadly little shits. _I'll get to it, I will_, I thought as I took another puff. I stared at the cigarette and shook my head. If I don't get killed by thugs and criminals, then these little guys will do me in. My Ma was right; I'm too young to be smoking these night and day.

I just wished she would take her own advice and quit it as well. But of course, she has more nerves to be calmed than I do. All she does is work for my ass to have a roof over his head. And what do I do? Nothing, except get arrested, get into fights, have her pay some bails for me, and not even go to college. What a waste of a life I am. Ma deserved a better son. A better home. A better life. Someday, I'd give it to her. I just wasn't sure how.

I finished my cigarette and put it out. I heard police sirens go off and it caused my eyes to look out of the window, blue and red lights flashing. My instinct was to go out there and see what was going on. But I just shrugged and climbed into bed, falling asleep right as my head hit my soft pillow.

It was cold out, so I pulled my hood over my head. I had on a t shirt, a hoodie and a leather jacket. It was that fucking cold. I immediately took out a cigarette and began poisoning my body as I walked down the street with no particular destination in mind. I just do this because I figured walking wasn't a crime, and no criminals would consider it an offense to them, because it was usually my slick mouth that got me either behind bars or in a fight with the bad guys around here.

My cheek still hurt from the one punch got my face. Fucking bastard. He screwed up my face now. I inhaled and exhaled and got dirty looks from strangers as I walked by. If I wanted to, I could easily throw some punches and make those dirty looks appear as smiles. But I kept my cool. I didn't need anymore trouble. I always seem to find myself in the middle of a lot of it.

I continued down the street, minding my own, as usual, when a woman caught my eye. Her hair was red, and her face was porcelain, and gorgeous.

3


	2. Chapter 2

I just kept walking, taking a mental note down that if I could, I'd sleep with her. She was fine as hell. As I turned the corner, I took a quick look back and noticed she was still behind me. I picked up my pace, walking a little faster. I looked back, and she was gone. I stopped and stood there, looking for her. But I saw no one. I felt my face contort in confusion as I shook my head and turned around. Out of nowhere, she stood in front of me, guns out.

"Alex Hardaway?" she asked, her gun in her hand by her side.

"Yeah?" I asked, looking at her with hard eyes. "What do you want?"

She looked around her and said, "You're coming with me."

"Who the hell are you? I'm not going with you."

She grabbed onto my arm and pointed the gun at my forehead. "You will do as I say".

I pretty much had no other choice as her grip tightened around my bicep and she pulled me along after her. I looked down at her, noticing her ass a bit. A smirk came on my face when she stopped running and I managed to bump behind her. She whirled around, raising an eyebrow.

"Watch it, Hardaway." She scanned the area, as if waiting for something.

I threw my hands up, shaking my head. I looked out behind me and noticed the wind picking up a bit. I looked back at her, her hair blowing and her gun in aim. I felt the ground shake a bit, the old newspapers blowing around and the buildings rumbling. I looked up and noticed the sky turning dark gray as a spiral came out of it. I heard metal starting to scratch around and I whirled around, watching as a dumpster flew off the ground and toward us. Right before it could smash us, I swung at it and it flew yards away, falling to the ground. I looked at the woman, and she looked at me.

"I didn't know you also possessed strength" she said, looking around.

I tilted my head. What did she know about me?

Thunder reigned down as the clouds got darker and I watched as a huge figure appeared, blonde hair shining. I watched the woman approach the figure in a friendly manner.

"Thor, right on time" she said.

He smiled at her. "Thank you, Natasha." His eyes turned on me.

"You." He said, starting toward me. "You must be Alexander Hardaway."

"It's just Alex." I said, looking up at him.

He put a hand on my shoulder. "You possess many powers, do you not?"

I nodded. "And?"

"And," he continued, a smile appearing on his face. "You could use such powers in efforts to assist those who need saving."

My face contorted.

"Do you not understand my words, young warrior?"

I laughed. "Warrior? Me?" I waved my hands in negation. "You've got it all wrong, big guy. I'm no warrior, and I don't care about people or helping them. They can help themselves."

Thor scoffed. "You're a fool." He turned to the woman he called Natasha. "Could you not find another who possess such powers with a better attitude and morale?"

Natasha shook her head. "He's hard headed, but I've watched him. He helps. He just doesn't like to take credit."

I laughed. "Help? How? I kill and beat up guys who start shit with me. Doesn't mean I want to help you two weirdoes with anything. Look, you're wasting my time."

I started walking off, taking a cigarette and lighting it.

"Hardaway, don't you want to do something your mother would be proud of?" I heard Natasha say.

I turned around, eyeing her. I took a puff of my cigarette and exhaled. "What do you care?"

She shrugged. "I don't. I'm just saying it for your own good."

I smirked. "My own good? My own good will come the day I find my father and kill him for hurting us. So stop talking out of your ass, bitch."

As I turned around to walk away, she appeared in front of me and closed her fist, punching me in the mouth. I staggered as I cupped my mouth, wincing in pain.

"What the fuck?" I yelled, looking at her.

"Be careful how you speak to a woman, young ruthless one." Thor said, patting my back. "Women are to be respected and cared for. Not humiliated and called such wretched names."

"Dude, shut up with your 18th century English." I said, standing straight and wiping the blood from my mouth.

Natasha looked at me intently. "By the way, I know your father. And he is our next mission. So, if you want your revenge, you might as well join us."

I looked into her eyes. I could see she was telling the truth. It was one of my powers, being able to depict whether or not someone was lying. And she was not lying one bit.

I looked at Thor, watching him stand beside Natasha. She smirked at me as she took a step closer to me.

"You, Alex, you have a lot of powers that not all of us have." She said. Her eyes were piercing. "And we need you, just like you need us."

I laughed. "I don't _need_ you."

She chuckled. "Oh, but you do. You just don't realize it yet, honey."

"Let's not start with pet names, sweetheart" I countered, taking another hit from the cigarette.

She rolled her eyes. "Hardass".

Thor smiled and patted my back. "I still have yet to formulate my opinion of you, young one, for at first, you were rude and now I can see jest in your eyes and hurt in your heart."

I looked at him. "Okay, Dr. Phil. Whatever you say."

He stopped, looking down at me. "Dr. Phil? Phil Coulson is a doctor now?"

"Shut up and let's go. We've got to get Hardass to HQ quick." Natasha said, and Thor and I smirked and followed her.


	3. Chapter 3

We arrived at what Thor and Natasha called HQ. I scoped around the place, looking at everyone and everything. Some grown ass man was in tights. The other with a big ass star on his chest. I laughed a bit when I caught Natasha giving me a disapproving look. I shrugged my shoulders and mouthed, "what?" to her and she rolled her eyes. I kind of liked when she did that. Then again, I just thought she was nice to look at.

They brought me over to small office like room, where a man in a nice suit sat in a nice, comfortable office chair.

"Coulson," Natasha said. "This is Hardaway."

I looked at the guy and smiled and waved.

His eyebrow raised and he dropped his file on the desk and coughed. "Is this a joke?"

I gave him a hard stare. "Do you want me to shove my foot up your ass?"

"Calm down, young one" Thor said as he turned to Coulson. "Phil, he is of good use to us. He possesses the powers which we need on our side."

Coulson stood up and walked over to me, a hand rubbing his chin. "This guy?"

Natasha nodded. "It's hard to wrap your head around it, isn't it?"

Coulson shook his head. "I've seen this kid before on the news. He's no different than any other criminal."  
>"With all due respect, Captain Faggot, I'm not a criminal." I piped up, a sly grin on my face.<p>

"I can't tolerate him, Natasha. If you want him on the team, so be it. But I refuse to interact with a delinquent."

Natasha looked at me, then at Phil. "Coulson, he'd be a good addition to the team. He just needs to learn how to respect people."

I laughed. "I don't need to respect anyone."

"Natasha!" Phil yelled. "Go teach him respect. Come back to me when he's learned it. Til then, I don't want to see this asshole."

I blew him a kiss and Natasha smacked my mouth. "Why do you enjoy hitting me?"

She smirked. "It's fun, really."

"right" I followed her down the hall and into another room where she closed the door. I noticed Thor was no longer with us. "Where's the blonde princess?"

She gave me another hard look. "He's getting to real work while I babysit your annoying ass".

"I can't be too annoying if you've worked this hard to get me here." I smiled at her.

She grabbed me by my jacket collar and pulled me close to her. "Listen here, Hardass. If we didn't need you, I wouldn't even give you a second thought. So shut up, and take orders."

She let go of me. I fixed my jacket and sat down in the seat, looking up at her. I had to admit, she was a fine looking woman. I might just make a move she may not like if she keeps playing rough with me.

"Alright, so now what?" I asked, looking at Natasha as she opened files and files, obviously searching for something.

"Your father aids Victor Von Doom in his crimes. We need to stop him. Both of them. But we need questions answered and your father is the only one who knows Doom well enough to answer such questions."

I followed along, my brain already formulating ideas and plans.

"That's where you come in. I need your help getting your father here. And interrogating him. And you can see when he's lying and when he's not."

I looked up at her, smiling. This time, I wasn't trying to be an asshole. I was smiling because she gave me a purpose. And it felt nice to have a purpose.

"What?" she said, a shy smile appearing on her lips.

I shook my head. "Nothing."

"We'll get on this as soon as they give you some basic training and what not." Natasha said, looking relieved to find the file she seemed to have been looking for. She tossed the file at me. I opened it up, looking at the photo of a man, with the caption "Hardaway". It was my father. I'd never seen him before. And unfortunately, I looked much like him. I frowned and put the file down on the desk.

"You've never met him?" she asked me, almost coincidentally.

I looked up at her. "No. Never. He walked out when I was just a baby."

She stared at me. I stood up and opened the door. "Can we get food? I'm hungry."

She smiled. "Of course we can."


End file.
